Twenty-one years ago, Francis Ford Coppola made Peggy Sue Got Married. It was a strange fantasy comedy, one that scored itself some Oscar nominations and starred Kathleen Turner and Coppola's nephew, Nicolas Cage. There's already been talk of how Cage was difficult on set. The actor himself admitted last year to Conan O'Brien that he based Charlie's strange and distracting voice on Gumby, and how his uncle and the studio almost fired him over it.

Now there's more word about his behavior during that production, and he's really not happy with it. In her upcoming book, Send Yourself Roses, Turner discusses her time with Cage during the film, and while the book has yet to hit shelves, the BBC reports that a "defamation, libel, and slander" case has been filed by Nicolas in London's High Court. What has got him so worked up, especially since he already admitted to being difficult?

According to The Daily Mail (via American Superstar), she wrote that Cage was "absolutely determined to prove that he wasn't there as the result of nepotism." And followed it up with: "Oh, that stupid voice of his and the fake teeth! Honestly, I cringe to think about it. He caused so many problems. He was arrested twice for drunk-driving and, I think, once for stealing a dog. He'd come across a chihuahua he liked and stuck it in his jacket."

So -- was he just a bratty and difficult nephew on set, or was he some wacko who stole chihuahuas? Who knows? It still sounds entertaining. Turner's book is scheduled to hit shelves this month, and also features dirt on Burt Reynolds and Christie Brinkley (the latter of which sounds like Spider-Man, without crime-fighting as an excuse for no-shows).

With only three feature films, Sofia Coppola has already roused supersize portions of both praise and disdain. I am firmly planted in the former camp; Coppola's Lost in Translation (2003), is the best American movie I've seen since the year 2000. It's only too easy to explain the latter camp: Americans have never been too fond of women in powerful positions, and because of her obvious connections her detractors believe that she doesn't deserve her position. To many, she's just "daddy's little girl," and is only allowed to play on the big boys' field because of his guidance and protection.

There are even rumors that Sofia's brother Roman (her second unit director) actually directed her movies, which is ludicrous given that Roman's own directorial debut, CQ (2002), is nowhere near as good as Sofia's three films (which also includes last year's misunderstood Marie Antoinette). Historically, women directors have had difficult times sustaining long careers in Hollywood. If they lose any money, they suffer the consequences, whereas men can spend and lose ten times as much without fearing for their jobs.

Even more difficult to explain and defend is that Coppola is not really a natural born storyteller like her father. But this is not necessarily a bad thing. It's a mistake to consider cinema as merely an agent for storytelling; it has so many other possibilities. And, indeed, filmmakers like Orson Welles, Ingmar Bergman, Luis Bunuel, Federico Fellini, Mario Bava, Monte Hellman, Robert Bresson, David Lynch, Jim Jarmusch, F.W. Murnau, Hou Hsiao-hsien and many others are likewise not necessarily praised or beloved for their ability to tell a clear, concise story. That skill is not required for one to be considered a great cinema artist.

Sure, the phrase Femme Fatale is a little overused and and her modern descendants are pretty weak, but how can you not love a bad girl? Kathleen Turner in Body Heat was one of the last good femme fatale performances -- Lena Olin and Linda Fiorentino might be two other highlights. Rarely do movie makers really let these characters be as mean and as smart as their classic predecessors without making them into borderline psychopaths.

Warner Bros. has released a "deluxe" edition of Lawrence Kasdan's Body Heat on DVD; written and directed by Kasdan, it was his attempt to make Double Indemnity. Oddly enough, George Lucas was an uncredited producer on the film -- remember when he used to make movies with actual people in them? The film starred Kathleen Turner and William Hurt and was a bit of a shocker when it hit theaters due to some "enthusiastic" sex scenes between the two stars. Other than that, it has your typical noir plot: pretty lady with a rich husband and the not-so-bright everyman who gets caught up in her scheme. The movie was a respectable homage but really didn't break any new ground; Kathleen Turner was good, but Barbara Stanwyck is better.

[via Yahoo! Movies]

I was about seven-years-old when I had my first taste of what it was like to watch a movie being filmed. At the time, my family and I lived in New York City and, one afternoon, we looked out our window to see a gigantic sailboat riding up Riverside Drive. For those of you who have never been to NYC, giant sailboats are the last thing one expects to see outside their window. My mom (who was and still is a sucker for celebrity sightings) and I rushed downstairs to see what all the fuss was about, only to learn that what we were witnessing was the final scene of Romancing the Stone.

What does this have to do with Tom Cruise? Well, thankfully he's not starring in a remake of Romancing the Stone. He is, however, rumored to be starring in Fool's Gold, a flick that instantly reminded me of that day with the sailboat. Pic, to be directed by Andy Tennant (Hitch), revolves around a married couple whose discovery of a lucrative treasure lands them in the spotlight and on the cover of magazines everywhere. However, when they attempt another treasure hunt a few years later, things don't go as well. As their marriage begins to fall apart and bills pile up, the two hatch a plan to "bilk a wealthy investor with the promise of a big score." Hmm, I wonder who would play Cruise's wife? Something tells me Kathleen Turner is a bit past her prime.